Deuteronomy 32:17
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They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they had not known, to newly arrived gods, which your fathers did not fear.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
In this chapter we have, I. The song which Moses, by the appointment of God, delivered to the children of Israel, for a standing admonition to them, to take heed of forsaking God. This takes up most of the chapter, in which we have, 1. The preface (Deu 32:1, Deu 32:2). 2. A high character of God, and, in opposition to that, a bad character of the people of Israel (Deu 32:3-6). 3. A rehearsal of the great things God had done for them, and in opposition to that an account of their ill carriage towards him (Deu 32:7-18). 4. A prediction of the wasting destroying judgments which God would bring upon them for their sins, in which God is here justified by the many aggravations of their impieties (Deu 32:19-33). 5. A promise of the destruction of their enemies and oppressors at last, and the glorious deliverance of a remnant of Israel (Deu 32:36-43). II. The exhortation with which Moses delivered this song to them (Deu 32:41-47). III. The orders God gives to Moses to go up to Mount Nebo and die (Deu 32:48, etc.).
Open source ↗32:17 demons: In the ancient Near East, the gods were thought to protect individuals and places from harm, but worshiping these pagan deities actually amounted to worshiping evil spirits (cp. 1 Cor 10:20-21; Rev 9:20). • New gods were false deities that Israel had never before encountered.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them for the generations to come.’
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.”
They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding.
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.